Opinion

 Chiefland City Commission

Based on my five-year-old’s behavior in the last few days leading up to Christmas, I got the distinct impression he did not believe Santa was watching him through a crystal ball.
And after his ruthless cross-examination of me on how Santa manages to transcend the laws of physics, I got another distinct impression that he did not believe in Santa at all.

 I did not write the headline on this column, nor did I write most of what you will read here. But what follows is pretty darned good stuff that I wish I had thought of writing.

For two decades, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been battling over future water allocation in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin which straddles their borders. The dispute also involves a number of federal agencies, courts, and mediators. Its outcome is one of the most important issues facing the Southeast.

On July 17, 2009, federal judge Paul Magnuson answered a key question that has dominated this 20-year water conflict-how much of the water in Lake Lanier can be legally used for metro Atlanta's water supply? His answer was stunning: none.

In the year since I wrote the column in the Chiefland Citizen asking our community to assist Lubcho Michevski in returning to his native Bulgaria, literally hundreds of people have offered help.

Money, translators and people in government positions have come forward.

The money is still being held for Lubcho’s needs. However, several personal checks were sent and they have been returned as we wait on Lubcho’s decision about his future.

“You can't squeeze blood from a turnip”

- Anonymous

The Levy County Commission's budget workshop this week was painful.

The most painful moment came when County Coordinator Freddie Moody observed that the proposed 2010-2011 budget of $57.039 million is only slightly smaller than the 2005-06 budget of $57.046 million.

Just a few years ago, when $25,000 bought an acre of land, the budget hit a high of $70 million.

Dear President Obama,

How was Hawaii? Did you get to improve your handicap on the golf course? I saw where you took the girls out for shaved ice.

I know your vacation wasn't much after the underwear bomber tried blowing up a plane on Christmas Day.

I'm glad you are back at work. I hope you are refreshed enough to help me out with a couple of things folks in Levy might want to know.

It is typical this time of year to prepare a list of resolutions for the coming year. I believe this goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam said to Eve, "I think I'll turn over a new leaf this year." And so the tradition has come down to us today.

The City of Chiefland lost a pioneer of the Chiefland Police Department on December 21, 2009.  I am speaking of my father, Etheridge “Crackshot” Bryant.  He gave the City of Chiefland several years of his life as their first African-American police officer.  Moreover, since he started his career as a police officer in this city, he deserved some recognition from his home department.  The Chiefland Police Department should have joined forces with the West Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, who traveled five hours, to honor him.